It is a common response among believers that “it’s ok to have doubts”, that faith and doubt are two sides of a coin. The question I’ve pondered is – how much doubt is too much?
Membership of a ‘faith group’ being based on such an arbitrary cognitive state seems hard to justify when the question of doubt is raised.
Consider the following:
If I doubt that Jesus was born of a virgin
Is that ok? Am I still a Christian?
If I doubt that the bible is an accurate representation of events, or that we can really know what Jesus said or claimed
Is that ok? Am I still a Christian?
If I doubt that if there’s a god, that Jesus was his relative
Am I still a Christian?
Christians tend to answer this by trying to convince me that I’m wrong. However, that misses the point. Is it ok to doubt or is it not? And if it is, by how much
Doubt is not something we have control over, unless we decide to wilfully block our doubts, suspend our normal cognitive reasoning. This is known as faith, but it’s also known as self-delusion depending on the circumstance (whether we’re talking about my faith or someone else’s ‘false’ faith!)
If I doubt that something is true, then I can be moved to a position of no longer doubting it by being convinced by the evidence. Or I guess, some undeniable external revelation.
If the mater in question IS actually true but I am still not convinced then there are only a few options, either the evidence isn’t good enough or my cognitive intelligence is at fault
This is the problem with the arbitrary, circular, manipulative and viral nature of the proposal that we’re ‘Saved by grace through faith’. It’s a flawed theology.
I regret that my fellow Christians have spent so much time trying to convince you that you are wrong. I apologize on behalf of the whole lot of us. I personally don’t find that directive anywhere in scripture, and this is precisely why I rejected Christianity for so long.
Thank you for linking to one of my posts, although I’m not quite sure that it can be fairly characterized as saying that believer’s say “it’s ok to have doubts.” Nonetheless, I would never criticize anyone for having honest doubts, nor would the God I know.
It is my opinion, however, that any thorough search for the “truth” must necessarily include the possibility that there is a God, and, if so, a simple, “God, I don’t know about all this, but I’m willing to listen…” is sufficient. The answer may or may not come immediately, it may happen over time, it may happen years from now, but the God I know loves answering sincere pleas for His attention.
Thanks Peter
I am open to the idea of a god. But theres a big step from that to ‘praying’ to that god. Don’t you see that’s a big cognitive step? I’m open to the idea of the loch ness monster… but its a leap from there to ‘praying’ to it.
By the way, does your technique work for any god? if i pray to Allah or Vishnu will he answer? and if Jehovah doesn’t answer… am i then not a Christian?
you say … ‘happen over time’ … so if i die between now and when he decides to talk to me… am i going to hell? seems unfair, and … well quite far-fetched when ya think about it
Certainly, it’s a huge cognitive step, but I never suggested praying, that may (or may not) come later. As far as whether or not this technique works for others, I have no idea. I have never tried it with other gods. If they exist and are capable of answering, I would assume they would, but that’s pure speculation.
I agree that happening over time may seem far-fetched, but far-fetched though it may be, it was and is my only experience, so I only know that it can happen over time (it happened with me over about 2 years).
I have no idea the specific criteria for going to hell, I only know the prescribed criteria for what Christians call “eternal life”. I can’t quite speak to the alternative.
One of the people who was friends with Jesus doubted. actually most of the people who hung around with Jesus doubted.
Thomas, Peter – excellent examples.
I say it’s ok to doubt. Hugs.
brunettekoala,
I doubt that. what do you doubt?
You doubt what?
I doubt lots of things. So I ask questions. Sometimes I find the answers. Sometimes I don’t.
A well asked question, and I appreciate the organizing of the options you presented. So funny, faith seems fine when you have it, and silly when you don’t. If it is ‘faith’, than by definition one can’t know it is true, right? Isn’t that doubt?
I walked that path, of being encouraged that it was normal to “doubt” God, that everyone struggled with doubt at times. So it is seen as commendable to continue believing something that is very difficult to believe. My mind writhes in agony trying to wrap itself around just the idea that people see it that way.
I am finally told that too much doubt is when you don’t believe in Jesus as your savior. So it turns out I have too much doubt. I guess every fundamentalist has their own definition of too much doubt. Which fits pretty well with my current definition of ‘fundamentalist’ — religion that doesn’t allow questioning of its own beliefs.
On a bit of a tangent, someone once told me they had more confidence in God’s existence than in my existence. And they were speaking to me face to face when they said it. That was too extreme for me to accept. ;^)